Education New Zealand Market Brief
Vietnam
Vietnam is growing in importance as an education market for New Zealand, with 888 students coming here to study last
year. For some years, Vietnamese student figures had been steady at around 300 but the last two years have seen
sustained growth. The increases are a result both of the expanding Vietnamese economy and especially the hard work put
in by many New Zealand institutions to develop this market.
In the last few years, the Vietnamese market has expanded from being almost exclusively an English language market to a
broad based market with significant numbers in Universities, Polytechnics and secondary schools. As the market matures,
the demand for longer and broader education will expand.
Agents are very important in this market, and the most successful institutions are those that build good relations with
respected agents to maintain the flow of good quality students. Recent initiatives such as compulsory registration and
compliance with the Code of Practice for Pastoral Care will further enhance New Zealand’s standing as a preferred
destination for Vietnamese students.
New Zealand is up against strong competition in the Vietnamese market. The USA, UK and Australia are all active, and
figures from the US and Australia indicate that they are experiencing growth similar to New Zealand. The positive aspect
of this is that it confirms that the Vietnamese market is genuinely growing, rather than students shifting their
allegiance from one country to another. A more recent development is the presence of Singapore and Malaysia, who are
both developing their own international education industries, and new entrants to the market such as The Netherlands.
Accordingly, New Zealand is not being complacent about its position in this market. The joint Education New Zealand and
Trade New Zealand ‘Five Steps Forward’ marketing strategy has a range of activities in place to help our institutions in
the Vietnamese market this year. These include:
- Vietnamese Agents visit to New Zealand – February/March
- New Zealand Education Fairs in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang - June
Interest in these events is high and twice the normal number of agents has been invited out in February to meet the
demand. The Vietnamese education market is currently worth over $20million to the New Zealand economy, and forms an
important part of the diversification strategy that New Zealand education providers are pursuing.
For more information about this visit, contact:
Stuart Boag, Education New Zealand
e-mail stuart.boag@educationnz.org.nz